Southwestern Michigan College has been awarded a $2 million grant to expand its nursing program and partner with Andrews University to help nursing students earn a bachelor’s degree.
SMC Provost Dave Fleming tells us the funds come from the state of Michigan’s Office of Sixty by Thirty.
“The state of Michigan asked community colleges to find an appropriate partner to help build these bridges between the RN programs and the BSN programs,” Fleming said. “Andrews has been a good partner for a number of other things, but this specific program will start because of this grant.”
SMC applied for the grant in July and was notified in November of the award.
Fleming says the funds will be spent over the next three years to boost recruiting into the nursing program and prepare students for the Andrews University program.
“Really, a lot of this is about getting our students better prepared to go to the BSN program at Andrews. So, some of the money is going toward having an additional staff person who can help students navigate that journey because it’s not always an easy one to understand, and to support some tutoring.”
Fleming says a lot of healthcare providers are looking for nurses with a higher level of education, beyond registered nurses. The new program starts in the fall of 2024.
You can find out more about SMC’s nursing program at its website.
